STAFF at the Museum of Carpet did not anticipate anyone who worked in the industry more than 80 years ago to attend a reunion they had organised last week.

However, Edna Styles arrived at the Tomkinson’s employee reunion on Friday, April 17, to share her memories of working in the industry during the 1920s.

Edna, who is 104, attended the reunion with her son, Rodney, who also worked in the trade. Edna first started working in the early 1920’s when she was a maid in Gerald Tomkinson’s office. Her job was to dust his desk and make sure that his paperwork was covered in soot from the open fire in his office during the cold winter months.

Later in the 1920s, Edna moved to Victoria Carpets where she worked on the production line as a picker. She left the industry when she had her first child.

More than 50 people attended the reunion and spent hours catching up on all the news and for many, it was the first time they had visited the town’s museum since it opened in October 2012.

Sue Sayner, who did her apprenticeship in the design studio at Tomkinson’s also came along to catch up with old friends.

She said: “I had a great time; I thoroughly enjoyed it. I managed to catch up with my very first boss, Graham Darby.

“It was such a good morning and great to share memories and catch up on what everyone’s been up to since the factory closed.”

Caroline Taylor, museum manager, said: “Reunions are a great way for people to engage with the museum. Visitors came from all over Kidderminster to meet up and one couple, Mike and Gwen Farmer, even travelled down from Lancashire to be here with us.

“Through the museum’s Facebook page, we even had enquiries from people who now live in America and were not able to come along but were keen to hear everyone’s news.”

The museum is hosting another reunion on Friday, May 1, from 11am, for anyone who worked at Woodward Grosvenor.